Cornel West

Race: State of Affairs

Music-Infused Political Commentary

Cornel West

Scholar, Professor of Religion. Princeton University

Cornel West, Ph.D., renowned scholar and professor of religion at Princeton University, was online Tuesday, July 17, at 10:30 a.m. ET to discuss his upcoming socially conscious recording project, "Never Forget: A Journey of Revelations," to be released next month (Hidden Beach Forum, in partnership with "Black Men Who Mean Business") and which explores the issues of race, the use of the "N-word" in popular culture and hip-hop and the current state of the world.

Dr. West provides political commentary alongside a collection of artists including Prince, Andre 3000, Talib Kweli, Jill Scott, Rhymefest, hip-hop legend KRS-One, The Roots' Black Thought, Rah Digga and the late Gerald Levert.

Dr. Cornel West: This CD is a danceable education. It's aim is to keep alive the spirit and legacy of Curtis Mayfield. We want to bring together the spiritual and the social, the personal and the political. We want to contribute to an awakening in our culture, especially youth culture that begins with a deep sense of history that brings together the three dimensions of time: past, present and future.

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Baltimore, Md: Dr. West,

Do you feel that the recent Imus controversy and the burying of the N word will affect the consciousness of the rap stars of today?

Dr. Cornel West: I hope that rap musicians and hip-hop artists become more sensitive to the vicious history of the "N word." That I know that "nigga" as opposed to "nigger" is a term of endearment for some young people. But the history of "nigger" with its connotation of self-hatred and self-disrespect needs to be acknowledged, so the discussion of the "N word" on my CD that pits my dear brother Michael Eric Dyson who defends the word, against myself, with my dear brother Tavis Smiley moderating provides a forum for this crucial question.

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Monroe, Mich.: How do you feel about Michael Eric Dyson's uncompromising defense of hip-hop? Why has the Black intelligentsia endorsed and defended the violent and materialistic culture glorified by hip hop? This is most evident in Dyson's attacks against Bill Cosby's criticism of hip-hop culture.

Dr. Cornel West: Brother Mike Eric Dyson does not defend violence, sexism or homophobia in hip-hop. That any reading of his work reveals his critique and rejection of these. He rejects the demonization of hip-hop because he, like myself, knows there are progressive hip-hop artists like Common, Lupe Fiasco, KRS-One and others who are hip-hop to the core but also critical of violence, sexism and homophobia.

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Boston, Mass.: Do you agree or disagree with Chief Justice Roberts that the best way to stop discrimination based on race is to stop taking race into consideration?

Dr. Cornel West: No, I think Judge Roberts is wrong. That in order to confront the ugly legacy of racism you don't act as if we are color blind overnight. Such action is short-sighted and wrong-headed.

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Washington, D.C.: Many credit the quiet forums provided by the Internet and other social networking platforms with reducing the overall climate of protest and social activism, especially in today's youth. Do you think such events as the NAACP's burial of the "N" word are miscalculated and irrelevant to younger generations, or do you feel that a significant physical presence on a national stage is still necessary to invoke change and/or discussion?

Dr. Cornel West: That we need all progressive and effective strategies. The Internet is indispensable. So are symbolic gestures of burial for the "N word." Street demonstrations as in Seattle 1999 and reform within our corrupt political system.

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Washington, D.C.: Many credit the quiet forums provided by the Internet and other social networking platforms with reducing the overall climate of protest and social activism, especially in today's youth. Do you think such events as the NAACP's burial of the "N" word are miscalculated and irrelevant to younger generations, or do you feel that a significant physical presence on a national stage is still necessary to invoke change and/or discussion?

Dr. Cornel West: That we need all progressive and effective strategies. The Internet is indispensable. So are symbolic gestures of burial for the "N word." Street demonstrations as in Seattle 1999 and reform within our corrupt political system.

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Washington, D.C.: What will be the impact of a black man being elected president to the African American community? Also, at the State of Black America you said that people need to know how Obama's campaign is financed to see who is pulling the strings. Given that fact that almost all of his money has come from normal people -- over 250,000 of them so far -- do you think that he is shaping up to actually be a different candidate, an agent of change?

Dr. Cornel West: First, it is important to engage in Socratic questioning of all candidates regardless of color or agenda. That's why I raised that question at Tavis Smiley's forum. At the same time I have endorsed Obama because I am convinced that he would not only be a progressive candidate but also he has the potential to be a great statesman. But we all must be part of the process to make him and other politicians accountable.

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Tokyo, Japan: According to prediction markets, Barack Obama is currently thought to have about a 2 percent chance of becoming the next president, second only to Hillary Clinton. He is also raising more money than other candidates. How important is this, and how important would it be if he actually won?

Dr. Cornel West: First, we must keep in mind that Hillary Clinton has been on the national scene for 15 years. Just as John Edwards has been running for president for five years. Obama began his race a few months ago. If his momentum continues, which I hope it does, and he wins, his presidency will be significant, not solely because it has shattered a racist barrier but more importantly he will have the vision and courage to change American policy with a focus on everyday working and poor people.

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Washington, D.C.: What is the message in your project "Never Forget" and is this a CD that will be available commercially?

Dr. Cornel West: Oh it will be highly available commercially. The fundamental message of the CD with giants like Prince, Gerald Levert, Talib Kweli, KRS-One, Jill Scott and others is to provide a danceable education that highlights the need for an awakening, for political engagement for progressive politics and sheer fun.

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Washington, D.C.: Prof. West: You have blended your scholarship with pop/mass culture quite a lot over the past several years. Do you have any concerns that, unlike WEB Dubois, you are aligning yourself with lesser rather than greater cultural traditions, and that you are leading promising young black students to ignore more intellectually challenging art and music in favor of what they already frequently see on TV and hear on the radio?

Dr. Cornel West: I appreciate the question. I do not believe in an either/or approach between high culture and popular culture. Instead, I adopt a both an approach that highlights the John Coltranes, Stephen Sondheims, Beethovens and Ellingtons as well as Common, Lauren Hill, Chuck D and Talib Kweli.

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Albuquerque, N.M.: Do you believe that racial problems are more a reflection of class today, or do you believe that it is still only "skin deep"?

I ask because I am 30 with friends of many colors, and it seems to me that race is no longer an issue. It seems to be something older generations are "stuck on," and cannot get over.

Here's another question -- is either affirmative action in academics or racial profiling along I-95 appropriate? How are they different?

Dr. Cornel West: The race problem in America has always been, in part, a class problem and it remains both a matter of economic deprivation and color prejudice.

Affirmative action has never been solely a race matter. It included gender and in schools it also included region. I believe the issue of class or economic status is important in regard to affirmative action alongside race and gender and region.

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Anonymous : What is your response to Bill Cosby's position on the problems facing the Black community and how they should be fixed (e.g., speaking only "correct" English)?

Dr. Cornel West: Bill Cosby's gallant attempt to correct the attitudes and actions of young people is significant. I believe that the language of correction must be informed by a fundamental compassion that he must put his love and concern for young people at the forefront of his language of correction. Young people must become more multilingual.

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Mitchellville, Md.: I agree with much that's being said about refraining from the use of offensive language but I think that should be a personal choice by the "artist", not by others.

Do you believe that limits and guidelines can be established for an artistic genre (in this case hip-hop) and still allow artists to reach the depths of their creativity? If so, how?

Dr. Cornel West: I do not believe in censorship. Artistic freedom is essential in a democracy. There would be no Eugene O'Neill, Laurie Anderson or Tupac Shakur if we had censorship. But I do believe artists have a responsibility for what they say and do.

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washingtonpost.,com: This concludes our discussion with Dr. West today. He had to leave because of appointments. Please consult the Discussions schedule in the coming weeks for part two of our chat about race and society.

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Editor's Note: washingtonpost.com moderators retain editorial control over Discussions and choose the most relevant questions for guests and hosts; guests and hosts can decline to answer questions. washingtonpost.com is not responsible for any content posted by third parties.

Black blogger(s) see handwriting on the wall

The Handwriting on the wall at VIACOM
1515 Broadway
New York, NY 10036
(212) 258-6000

Shari Redstone, Vice Chairman
shari.redstone@viacom.com
sredstone@nationalamusements.com

RE: The Handwriting on the Wall at VIACOM

Dear Shari Redstone:

While everyone on Wall Street is licking their chops over the prospects of your leaving Viacom's board, we represent a voice of people who wish that you would stay. As a forward-thinking and progressive voice on the board, your views on performance-base compensation for corporate executives are long overdue.

Media giants, like Viacom and CBS, are dominated by old thinking. The values of old corporate executives are no longer the values of the general public. Shareholders should hold corporate executives accountable, not only for their performance, but also on the quality of their performance.

Let me remind you that the Association of National Advertisers have adopted a plan for Family Friendly Programming. Its mission is to support and promote the development of "family friendly" television across all programming genres between the hours of 8 and 10 p.m., when adults and children are most likely to watch television together.

Some media giants have not followed public desires but, instead, have set a bad public trend in television and radio programming. Look, for example, at Imus. Old media corporate executives have given the public an overdose of distorted reality programming, a la "As the World Turns" through the eyes of the "World According to Gorp". We are long overdue for some revolutionary changes.

SHARI: You probably already know best why there is discontent at Dream Works. But you may not know about the fire brewing at BET. The roll out of "Hot Ghetto Mess" and "S.O.B." on July 25th could very well be the BET's empire financial undoing.

Again, we will be looking to you for new thinking leadership against the stonewall executives who recognize no need for change. The cancer has reached critical mass. The handwriting is on the wall. Only you can determine its course.

Sincerely,
Eddie Griffin (BASG)

Hot Ghetto Mess

Black bloggers have united against BET and Viacom and are gaining traction. Now one of the nations leading newspapers The Washington post is following black blogger conversations on the issue.

African American Political Pundit says:

I agree with you Gina McCauley, creator of the blog What About Our Daughters?, "This is the POWER of Black bloggers in action. How many more of you need to be convinced that this is a new day in blogging activism in the African American community?"

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As Bloggers such as Gina McCauley, creator of the blog What About Our Daughters?,
Electronic village, the Afrosphere, Mirror on America, Bronze trinity, African American Political Pundit and hundreds of other black bloggers step up the effort to stop negative portrayals of blacks by the media, a recent media release provides more details:

Black Bloggers and Civil Rights Groups Unite to Topple BET's "Hot Ghetto Mess"

Austin, TX -July 19, 2007 - If Viacom's Black Entertainment Television goes through with its plans to air "Hot Ghetto Mess" next week, many people will be watching, but not for the reason BET wants. Realizing that mere online advocacy, was not going to be enough to topple "Hot Ghetto Mess" after she'd gotten advertisers to flee the show, Gina McCauley, creator of the blog What About Our Daughters? turned to a coalition of religious and women's groups including the African Methodist Episcopal Church, the National Coalition for Black Civic Participation, National Organization for Women, Rainbow PUSH, and the National Congress of Black Women.

The result is what may very well be the largest intergenerational collaboration between young online activists and their older offline counterparts in United States history. Their focus; to convince advertisers that buying ad time on BET's "Hot Ghetto Mess" just isn't worth it, despite the high ratings that the show is likely to bring if it airs.

On July 25, 2007, "Hot Ghetto Mess" watch parties are being scheduled in Atlanta, Los Angeles, New York, Austin, the District of Columbia and the list of locations keeps growing. Those attending the watch parties will be recording which companies purchase advertisements during the show. The coalition then plans to target those businesses with possible boycotts or demonstrations.

Help Hunt Down Hot Ghetto Mess

Villagers, it is time to send the hunters into the jungle to bring down the jackal that has been stealing our dignity. The Electronic Village is joining What About Our Daughters blog, Eddie Griffin and other Black bloggers in the next phase of this quest to take Hot Ghetto Mess off the air.

Hot Ghetto' Leaves Some Blacks Cold

Ever since she started pumping her friends' snapshots of black people behaving badly onto her Web site, Jam Donaldson has been at the center of an uncomfortable cultural question:

Can African Americans publicly humiliate, satirize and otherwise shame other African Americans and not be called "race haters," "elitists" and "Uncle Toms"? More HERE

The War in Iraq -The Real Deal - Israeli and U.S. foreign policy

LA Times article exposed Israeli security and U.S. foreign policy goals even before the war.




It's always good to look backwards, in order to take positive steps forward. Here is a look backwards at a powerful article published back on December 1, 2002. About the Bush administrations efforts to redraw the map of the Middle East.

Please take the opportunity to read this article and let us know what you think about Israeli security and U.S. foreign policy goals

Beyond Regime Change

By Sandy Tolan and Jason Felch

LA Times

If you want to know what the administration has in mind for Iraq, here's a hint: It has less to do with weapons of mass destruction than with implementing an ambitious U.S. vision to redraw the map of the Middle East.

The new map would be drawn with an eye to two main objectives: controlling the flow of oil and ensuring Israel's continued regional military superiority. The plan is, in its way, as ambitious as the 1916 Sykes-Picot agreement between the empires of Britain and France, which carved up the region at the fall of the Ottoman Empire. The neo-imperial vision, which can be ascertained from the writings of key administration figures and their co-visionaries in influential conservative think tanks, includes not only regime change in Iraq but control of Iraqi oil, a possible end to the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and newly compliant governments in Syria and Iran -- either by force or internal rebellion.

For the first step -- the end of Saddam Hussein -- Sept. 11 provided the rationale. But the seeds of regime change came far earlier. "Removing Saddam from power," according to a 1996 report from an Israeli think tank to then-incoming Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, was "an important Israeli strategic objective." Now this has become official U.S. policy, after several of the report's authors took up key strategic and advisory roles within the Bush administration. They include Richard Perle, now chair of the Pentagon's Defense Policy Board; Douglas Feith, undersecretary of defense; and David Wurmser, special assistant in the State Department. In 1998, these men, joined by Donald Rumsfeld and Paul Wolfowitz (now the top two officials in the Pentagon), Elliott Abrams (a senior National Security Council director), John Bolton (undersecretary of State) and 21 others called for "a determined program to change the regime in Baghdad."

After removing Hussein, U.S. forces are planning for an open-ended occupation of Iraq, according to senior administration officials who spoke to the New York Times. The invasion, said Iraqi dissident Kanan Makiya, would be "a historic opportunity that is as large as anything that has happened in the Middle East since the fall of the Ottoman Empire." Makiya spoke at an October "Post-Saddam Iraq" conference attended by Perle and sponsored by the American Enterprise Institute. Any occupation would certainly include protecting petroleum installations. Control of the country's vast oil reserves, the second largest in the world and worth nearly $3 trillion at current prices, would be a huge strategic prize. Some analysts believe that additional production in Iraq could drive world prices down to as low as $10 a barrel and precipitate Iraq's departure from OPEC, possibly undermining the cartel. This, together with Russia's new willingness to become a major U.S. oil supplier, could establish a long-sought counterweight to Saudi Arabia, still the biggest influence by far on global oil prices. It would be consistent with the plan released by Vice President Dick Cheney's team in June, which underscored "energy security" as central to U.S. foreign policy. "The Gulf will be a primary focus of U.S. international energy policy," the report states. Some analysts prefer to downplay the drive to control Iraqi oil. "It is fashionable among anti-American circles ... to assume that U.S. foreign policy is driven by commercial considerations," said Patrick Clawson, an oil and policy analyst with the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, in an October talk. Rather, Clawson said, oil "has barely been on the administration's horizon in considering Iraq policy.... U.S. foreign policy is not driven by concern for promoting the interests of specific U.S. firms."

Yet Clawson, whose institute enjoys close ties with the Bush administration, was more candid during a Capitol Hill forum on a post-Hussein Iraq in 1999: "U.S. oil companies would have an opportunity to make significant profits," he said. "We should not be embarrassed about the commercial advantages that would come from a re-integration of Iraq into the world economy. Iraq, post-Saddam, is highly likely to be interested in inviting international oil companies to invest in Iraq. This would be very useful for U.S. oil companies, which are well positioned to compete there, and very useful for the world's energy-security situation."

More HERE

War, Blacks Bloggers and Politics

Jack Turner at Jack and Jill Politics has a great post regarding the Bush Iraq War and the lack of blogging by African American bloggers. check out his post; why black bloggers don't have much to say about the Iraq all-nighter. His post made me think even more about the war, and it's impact on American politics. Here are some of my thoughts regarding Jack Turner's Post.

As you read my response check out the most current news on Iraq:

Blast Reportedly Kills 5 Sunni Leaders in Iraq

U.S. Wants Iraqi Leaders to Reach 'Accommodation'

Aide to Iraq's Top Shiite Cleric Fatally Stabbed

African American Political Pundit says:

"This Senate action was a no brainer. The Senate is a multi-million dollars boys (and a few girls) club. It's a club of people that really could give a rat's a** about the death and killing in Iraq of for that matter the killing in the streets of urban America.

I salute those who follow, support, and/or report on the "ins and out's" of the United States Senate, but to tell the truth (my truth), :-) I'm feeling Bush is in many ways right.

Ouch! that hurt to say.

We may now have to stay in Iraq, because he as the "decider" (the Commander with a beef) against Saddam, decided to "Shock and Awe" Iraq into the stone age and Civil War.

The consequence of his actions are that the millions of Iraqi's and others are now prepared and eager to chase America for the next thousand years for its senseless incursion to Iraq, killing of Iraqi babies, children, fathers, grand fathers, daughters, cousins and mothers. If this happened to millions of your country men and women, what would you do?

Yes, they will follow Americans to the end of the earth. They will not forget the support of the United States Senate and House of Representatives gave to the president at the time. Shock and Awe, the rape of Iraq women.

The Senate Democrats with a few Republican supporters cannot clean their hands of the blood they created in Iraq by one action on the senate floor.

The chase has begun, It's up to the American people to stop this cycle of death against the Iraqi people.

Bush, Cheney and others need to be charged with war crimes.The American people need to elect a whole new crop of political leaders , including new leadership in the United States Senate."

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Am I wrong?

Shoot The Rapper

Contradiction of the week



Word on the street is rapper and multi million dollar water investor 50 Cent sued an Internet advertising company for $1 million Friday, claiming it illegally used his image in a game where the player pretends to shoot him. 50 Cent sues over 'Shoot the Rapper'

Is this the same guy that supports violence in music, in life, and degrades black women? I hope there are some black women on a jury trial. I wish 50 cents would pretend to have character and class and stop his own violent music, maybe then internet advertisng companies would not create images pretending to shoot him. Have you ever wondered why no one creates pretend games like that against Will Smith or Denzel Washington? Because they both have character and class. It's all about the life you live...

TSA

Those Stupid A**holes TSA have now lifted the ban on women bringing dangerous and toxic womens breast milk on the planes. The TSA says airline passengers will be allowed to bring most cigarette lighters on board again starting next month, freeing airport screeners to spend more time searching for explosives.

The Department of Homeland in-security have some really stupid morons working for them, when they decided to ban women from bring breast milk on the plane. Hey can I get my nail clippers and lighter back?

Bush Still don't like black people

Toxic, carcinogenic formaldehyde killing our black babies.

National Centers for Disease Control to test trailers and conduct long-term health monitoring of residents.

Rep. Cummings of Maryland blast FEMA

FEMA was slow to test toxicity of trailers

Lawyers for the Federal Emergency Management Agency discouraged officials from pursuing reports of dangerous levels of formaldehyde in trailers housing thousands of hurricane victims, according to documents subpoenaed by House members and released Thursday.

While many African American bloggers have been following the Federal effort to kill black people in New Orleans. Yesterday we learned that our hunch was right. The Secretary of HomeLand In-Security may have a gut feeling about terrorist, but now the American people should have a gut feeling about George Bush.

Yes, George Bush not only does not like black people, George Bush's FEMA is willingfully killing black people. And where is the Congressional Fox Caucus? Why is it that Henry Waxman, (god bless him) is making more noise, and bringing this issue up more than the Congressional Black Caucus or for that matter Obama?

As Reported in the Washington Post, "The Federal Emergency Management Agency since early 2006 has suppressed warnings from its own field workers about health problems experienced by hurricane victims living in government-provided trailers with levels of a toxic chemical 75 times the recommended maximum for U.S. workers, congressional lawmakers said yesterday.

A trail of e-mails obtained by investigators shows that the agency's lawyers rejected a proposal for systematic testing of the levels of potentially cancer-causing formaldehyde gas in the trailers, out of concern that the agency would be legally liable for any hazards or health problems. As many as 120,000 families displaced by hurricanes Katrina and Rita lived in the suspect trailers, and hundreds have complained of ill effects." More HERE

As Josh Dorner of the Sierra Club noted, Yesterday just wasn't your lucky day if you happened to be David Paulison, the Administrator of FEMA. He was called -- under oath -- before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee for an ol' fashioned tongue-lashing, Henry Waxman-style. Paulison was made to answer for the toxic tin cans in which FEMA has housed thousands of victims of Hurricane Katrina and other disasters. Despite the brow-beating he took today, Paulison is still of course much luckier than the 120,000 residents of the Gulf Coast who actually still live in the toxic trailers -- suffering from severe respiratory and other health problems every day, even risking cancer due to long-term exposure to toxic, carcinogenic formaldehyde. More HERE

UNICEF Responds to Black Face Ads

Blogger African American Political Pundit sent the following letter to UNICEF today. Here is the interesting part of this situation UNICEF attempted to retrieve the message from my email system, but my firewall blocked it. Check out what they had to say in response to my email. (Hat Tip Black Women in Europe for exposing this issue, and blogger Agent X for the contact information)

Dear UNICEF

I am concerned about the "racial overtones" of the recent campaign of placing white children in black face. As a long time UNICEF supporter, I'm concerned that UNICEF and it's German National Committee for UNICEF are involved in racial hatred with this Ad campaign.

Please find it in the kindness of your heart to withdraw the Ads and denounce the racial hatred the ads imply.

I sincerely hope that UNICEF takes such issues as racial isolation and bigotry seriously.

Please advance humanity by taking the ads down.

UNICEF Responds

Thank you for bringing this to our attention. We agree -- these advertisements are not appropriate and run against UNICEF's mission. They have been dropped from the UNICEF German National Committee's website and there are no plans to use them in the future. We apologize for any offence caused.

As a UNICEF supporter, you may be interested to know a little more about the German National Committee's campaign to promote child-friendly schools in six African countries. Launched in late 2004, the campaign aims to raise awareness of the fact that nearly half of all children in Africa lack even primary education.

With funds from private donors, 350 schools have been repaired or newly constructed. In addition, several thousand teachers have been trained and school management improved. In total, around 100,000 children and young people have benefited from this campaign since 2004. The right to education for all children is a prerequisite to develop their full potential and a basis for social and economic development.

Again, we apologize for any offence caused.

Sincerely,

Cinthya Oliveira

Program Services

U.S. Fund for UNICEF

www.unicefusa.org

UNICEF Black Face Campaign

Hat Tip: Black Women in Europe

Read more HERE

Condemned Ga. "'man" Wins 90-Day Stay

All right folks, we need to check out the Washington Post Headline:

Condemned Ga.

Killer Wins 90-Day Stay

you check it out?

ATLANTA -- A man convicted of killing a police officer won a reprieve a day before his scheduled execution, after his lawyers argued that several witnesses had recanted or changed their testimony.

The state Board of Pardons and Paroles on Monday granted a stay of execution of up to 90 days to Troy Davis, 38, who was convicted of killing a Savannah police officer in 1989.

More HERE

America, is it going to hell in a handbasket ?

Could anyone have said how I'm feeling better than myself. Yes, Glen Ford of Black Agenda Report has placed in to words how a majority of Americans are feeling. And we are not feeling good. Candidly, I'd like a majority of the Congress to get a ticket right to hell. but hopefully the American people will see through their madness and vote against every last one of them. Check out A Black Agenda Report radio commentary

by executive editor Glen Ford

Something close to a majority of the people of the United States want Dick Cheney and George Bush to be impeached. Many more would join the bandwagon if the process was begun. But only 14 members of the U.S. House of Representatives have signed on to impeach Cheney, and the arch-criminal George Bush seems untouchable. Democratic lawmakers refuse to enforce the law. The inability of the U.S. political system to reign in rampaging criminality, is evident. Corporations govern the United States, and their laws are different. From Baghdad to New Orleans, U.S. corporations have been on a stealing- and killing-spree since January, 2001 - and they dare anyone to stop them.

Read more...

Killing an Innocent Black Man? Troy Athony Davis

OK, you Obama and Hillary supporters, why are they (Hillary and Obama so quiet about this case, why are they not writing letters and calling the Governor of Georgia)? oh, it's only a black man.


Hat Tip: Time.com

The pending execution of Troy Anthony Davis, scheduled to take place on July 17, is raising serious questions about his guilt — and about the Newt Gingrich-era federal law that has limited his appeals options and prevented him, say his supporters, from getting a fair shake.


Davis, 38, a former coach in the Savannah Police Athletic League who had signed up for the Marines, was convicted in the 1989 murder of Mark Allen MacPhail, a Savannah, Ga., police officer. MacPhail was off-duty when he was shot dead in a Savannah parking lot while responding to an assault. Davis was at the scene of the crime, and an acquaintance who was there with him accused Davis of being the shooter. Since his conviction in 1991, Davis has seen each of his state and federal appeals fail. But in the court of public opinion, Davis presents a compelling argument. Seven of the nine main witnesses whose testimony led to his conviction have since recanted. The murder weapon has never been found, and there is no physical evidence linking the crime to Davis, who has asserted his innocence throughout. Read More HERE

Gallery of the Exonerated

Ten stories of men who languished in prison for crimes they didn't commit, until the Innocence Project and DNA technology helped win their freedom

Related

Innocence Project Marks 15th Year

Now in its 15th year, the nonprofit has freed more than 200 wrongly convicted people using DNA evidence

The Jena Six

The Case of the Jena Six: Black High School Students Charged with Attempted Murder for Schoolyard Fight After Nooses Are Hung from Tree

Listen to Segment || Download Show mp3
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Source: Democracy Now

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Six black students at Jena High School in Central Louisiana were arrested last December after a school fight in which a white student was beaten and suffered a concussion and multiple bruises. The six black students were charged with attempted murder and conspiracy. They face up to 100 years in prison without parole. The fight took place amid mounting racial tension after a black student sat under a tree in the schoolyard where only white students sat. The next day three nooses were hanging from the tree. [includes rush transcript]

Jena is a small town nestled deep in the heart of Central Louisiana. Until recently, you may well have never heard of it. But this rural town of less than 4,000 people has become a focal point in the debate around issues of race and justice in this country.

Last December, six black students at Jena High School were arrested after a school fight in which a white student was beaten and suffered a concussion and multiple bruises. The six black students were charged with attempted second-degree murder and conspiracy. They face up to 100 years in prison without parole. The Jena Six, as they have come to be known, range in age from 15 to 17 years old.

Just over a week ago, an all-white jury took less than two days to convict 17 year-old Mychal Bell, the first of the Jena Six to go on trial. He was convicted of aggravated battery and conspiracy charges and now faces up to 22 years in prison.

Black residents say that race has always been an issue in Jena, which is 85 percent white, and that the charges against the Jena Six are no exception.

The origins of the story can be traced back to early September when a black high school student requested permission to sit under a tree in the schoolyard where usually only white students sat. The next day three nooses were found hanging from the tree.

Democracy Now! correspondent Jacquie Soohen has more on the story from Jena. More HERE

White House Chicken Hawks - GOP Low Lifes

While White House chicken hawks hold firm on a bogus strategy regarding Bush's Iraq War, other chickens are coming home to roost in fear of voter backlash. They are ditching Bush and his screwed up policy in Iraq. Now GOP Senators are even drafting a bill requiring Bush to narrow mission of U.S. Troops Let's hope the voters can see through these morons, who have caused, thousands of American soldiers to die, countless thousands to be injured, hundreds of thousand of Iraqi deaths, and millions of Iraqi's to flee Iraq.

Listen to four other lawmakers discuss their views on the Iraq war: Source: The Washington Post.

Excerpt of Rep. Boren's Interview

Excerpt of Rep. Schakowsky's Interview

Excerpt of Sen. Isakson's Interview

Excerpt of Sen. Snowe's Interview